“This disgraceful treatment of journalists who are also trying to do their jobs is completely unacceptable”
Following the arrests of journalists, who were covering the Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in Hertfordshire, Daisy Cooper MP has written to Herts Constabulary to express her concerns, and spoken in Parliament to ask whether the Home Secretary would be making a statement.
Journalist Charlotte Lynch was reporting on the protests from a pedestrian footbridge at Junction 21 in the St Albans constituency. Photographer Tom Bowles, and documentary film maker Rich Felgate were also arrested at the M25 in Hertfordshire. All had offered to show their press identification prior to being arrested.
Ms Lynch described being handcuffed and left in a cell on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance despite having shown officers media accreditation. The two journalists arrested on 7 November report not only being detained for 13 hours, but also that they were asked to provide access to their mobile phones so that their protected sources could be revealed.
In her letter to the constabulary, Daisy said: “I appreciate that these protests are placing officers under ever more pressure, and I was particularly saddened to hear reports of an injury to an officer attending a further protect in nearby Essex today. Notwithstanding the abuse of police powers, this disgraceful treatment of journalists who are also trying to do their jobs is completely unacceptable.
“I urge you to conduct an urgent investigation into how these arrests were allowed to happen, immediately apologise to the journalists concerned, and direct your officers to protect the freedom of the press when executing their duties.
Daisy also called on home secretary Suella Braverman to be summoned to the House of Commons to explain and apologise for the treatment of journalists covering protests.
Speaking in the Commons, she said: “I was utterly appalled to see LBC journalist Charlotte Lynch being arrested by Hertfordshire police yesterday whilst covering the Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in my constituency whilst other journalists were also detained covering separate similar protests in Hertfordshire.
“I have written to Hertfordshire police today and they have now put out a statement.
“They’ve said they’ve requested an independent force to examine their approach to identify some learnings and they’ve taken some additional measures. In other words ‘nothing to see here’.
“We are not an authoritarian state. The ability of journalists to do their job unhindered is a vital part of our democracy.
“So given the severity of these incidents and the fact that Parliament is going into recess tomorrow, could you please give me some advice, Mr Deputy Speaker, as to how the House may be able to summon the Home Secretary to this place for her to give a statement offering an explanation, an apology and a reassurance that this will never happen again?”